Brothers Care
by AHeartForStories
Summary: When waking up one morning on Dragon's Edge, Toothless was eager to go for a flight, but Hiccup might not be so up for it.


_I think I may have a problem._

 _I can't stop writing Hictooth! D: Once you start, you can't stop! D:_

 _Also, is the rating for this one-shot right?_

* * *

 **Brothers Care**

The best part of waking up during any morning was the first flight of the day.

There was simply no better way to start a new day off right than high up in the air with his large wings spread wide, the chilly breeze caressing his ebony black scales gently, his human sitting securely on his back as another extension to the dragon himself, and listening to him hollering in joy and excitement.

That was what Toothless thought.

But before he could take off towards the sky and enjoy life to the fullest, said human rider needed to wake up first.

The young adult Night Fury was curled up on his carefully selected stone slab that morning. Already awake, he was patiently waiting for Hiccup to rouse from his sleep after one peek at his lazy human friend had told him the youngest Haddock was still snuggled deep within the covers.

Their particular species needed more sleep than a Night Fury and Toothless understood this. He respected Hiccup's sleeping habits, partly because humans did strange things when deprived of sleep for too long and partly because his human sometimes neglected his needs himself.

Weither it was because he worried about something, felt like he absolutely had to work on this one invention in the middle of the night, or found another way to waste his precious little time of sleep on. It honestly didn't matter as his rider never failed at keeping himself up and exhausting his mind and body in the process.

Not even with a Night Fury worrying and looking out for him can his sometimes destructive ways be stopped.

Toothless had to admit, though. As a growing adolescent dragon there had been a time when he couldn't stand Hiccup's long sleeping habits.

Once the sun was up, so was the Night Fury and that meant Hiccup needed to be up aswell, weither he liked it or not. Didn't matter if he was still tired or not either.

Of course, Hiccup, as a teen of only fifteen or sixteen years old, had been known to sleep until midday back then. It was in those circumstances that the dragon, often gleefully, made himself guilty of dragging the boy out of bed with whatever he managed to grab with either his gums or frontmost teeth.

His one remaining foot, an arm or two, sometimes even his clothes or his metal leg, if he so happened to still be wearing it. It honestly didn't matter so long as Toothless could safely grab on pull.

But as he grew to be the eighteen year old young man the dragon now knew, Hiccup didn't sleep in as often as he used to anymore.

With the exception of today, it seems.

Cracking one eye open, Toothless felt the late morning already slowly ticking by and still his human hadn't moved an inch from his spot. The even and deep breathing is what told him that Hiccup was still fast asleep. yet, he was itching to stretch his wings and so his patience was wearing thin.

Deciding to take matters into his own claws for this once, Toothless stood up from his own bed to walk towards the silent figure just feet away. He had every intention to rattle his rider awake in every unpleasant way possible and remind him of his unspoken obligations towards the reptile.

But his agitated mood didn't stop him from sniffing the air and noticing that something was slightly off. It was a scent in the air, one he was unfortunately quite familiar with.

Upon approaching his rider, Toothless could smell it even clearer and realized Hiccup was the very source of it.

Unpleasant as it was, there was no denying that this was the stench of disease.

Worry rose up and Toothless crooned as he stood by the boy's bedside, leaning over him to take a good look at him.

Hiccup was curled up in a tight ball on his right side, his pillow on the floor and almost completely hidden by his thin blanket. A slight look of discomfort was present on his face, his brows furrowed and his lips frowning.

Grabbing the covers with his teeth to pull it away, he saw Hiccup's left arm wrapped loosely around his middle before tucking him back in.

 _Yes, definitely ill._ That is what the dark reptile declared in his mind.

Further evidence was provided when he pressed his cheek against Hiccup's and felt it to be both a bit on the hot side and sweatier than he was used to feel. Humans did tend to sweat during their sleep, but this time it was a bit more than usual.

"Toothless, not now, Bud. Please." The auburn haired teen noticed the touch as he moaned the Night Fury's name and sluggishly pushed his snout away before proceeding to roll onto his left side, incidentally now facing the creature, and sighing deeply.

Said dragon purred comfortingly in understanding, briefly and lightly nuzzling his snout to his rider's face and pulling away before Hiccup could complain again.

It was a reassuring 'rest and get well' that Hiccup could appreciate and found himself subconsciously placing his hand on the Night Fury's nose before rolling back to his other side and falling into a deeper slumber.

Toothless stayed and watched for a while. Only when more relaxed and even breaths left the boy's lungs and told him he was once again fast asleep did he remove himself from his side.

Instead the dragon, black as the night itself, made his way down to the ground floor of the hut and lied down in front of the door. He was certain that one of the other riders, most likely the blonde human of Stormfly, Astrid, would come see what took Hiccup so long to join them and he would not stand to see his other half's rest disturbed now that he was ill.

At least for this instance he could miss one morning flight in favour of letting Hiccup sleep in for once and rid his system of the light fever he was experiencing. And should someone be foolish enough to dare come wandering in looking for him, Toothless would be more than happy to send them running with a plasma blast or two.

Hiccup could wake up on his own time. And when he does, the dragon would make sure his human half will get his stubborn scrawny butt taken care off.

For now, he should rest.


End file.
